Gregorio José Ramírez y Castro (1796–1823) was a Costa Rican politician, merchant and marine who was most notable for being the 2nd General Commander of Arms of Costa Rica from April 5 to April 16, 1823.
Biography
Personal life
He was born in
San José, New Spain on March 27, 1796, in a family of noble extraction. His parents were Gregorio Ramírez y Otárola (1749 - 1803), lieutenant governor of San José in 1791, and Rafaela Castro y Alvarado. He did not get married.
Seafaring Life
Due to asthmatic ailments, he dedicated himself to the marine life since his adolescence. He became captain of merchant ships that carried out activities between
Puntarenas and
Panama
Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
, although in 1821 he was accused in court of not rendering accounts properly to one of the owners. From March to June 1819 he was part of a detachment for the coastal defense of the Costa Rican Pacific, under the orders of Captain Don
Salvador de Oreamuno.
Political activity during Independence
He represented the population of
Alajuela
Alajuela () is a district in the Alajuela (canton), Alajuela canton of the Alajuela Province of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Alajuela canton, it is awarded the status of city. By virtue of being the city of the first canton of ...
in the Board of Legates of the Peoples that on December 1, 1821, issued the
Pact of Concord
Pact, The Pact or PACT may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''The Pact'' (novel), by Jodi Picoult, 1998
* ''The Pact'' (2002 film), adaptation of Picoult's '' The Pact''
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* ''The Pact'' (2006 film), Americ ...
.
From April to December 1822 he was absent from Costa Rica as he was on a trip along the coasts of the South American Pacific.
Upon his return to Costa Rica, he represented Alajuela in a town delegate board in February 1823 and spoke out in favor of a republican system of government. Later he was elected deputy for Alajuela to the Provincial Congress that began sessions on March 1, 1823 .
Ochomogo War
He was residing in Alajuela when there was news of the monarchical coup of
Joaquín de Oreamuno. The local City Council appointed him general commander of the Arms and took command of the republican forces of Alajuela and San José. On April 5 of 1823, at the Battle of Ochomogo, his troops defeated the royalist forces and then occupied the city of
Cartago, then capital of Costa Rica.
Commander of Arms
From his military victory he exercised the supreme command of Costa Rica, as general commander of the Arms. During his administration, the capital of Cartago was transferred to San José and the Constituent Congress was convened again for sessions. Once this group was reunited, under the presidency of
José María de Peralta, Ramírez handed him power on April 16, 1823 . He retained the military command until his death.
Death
He died in Alajuela, Costa Rica, on December 4, 1823 . The Legislative Assembly declared him
Benemérito de la Patria in 1971 .
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramirez y Castro, Gregorio Jose
1796 births
1823 deaths
Costa Rican politicians
Politicians from San José, Costa Rica
People from New Spain
19th-century merchants